Each adult also needs to take serious precautions when introducing children, pets, and inexperienced adults to an outdoor activity. Byron Glacier: Hikers should be aware that avalanche debris is covering the trail with several feet of snow about .5 miles in. The District has received between 8-12 inchesof new snowfall in the pastfour days. INHT from Ptarmigan Creek trail to Fall's Creek:is constructed, no bridge across Falls Creek. Ice cleats on your shoes, and studded tracks on your sno-go will be required to get beyond this section, more bare ground showing daily on this road. Snow that has fallen above 3,000 is accumulating, awareness of your location in relationship to avalanche paths is a must. While Seward Ranger District winter motorized trails and areas remain open (Skookum on the Glacier Ranger District closes on Sunday, April 1), we do not recommend travel via snow machine on the Lost Lake trail if your track is not studded. Scattered across Chugach National Forest are 42 public use cabins available to rent, which are reached either on foot, by boat, or by float plane. The District is closed to Winter Motorized use, this includes Snug Harbor Road access to Lost Lake. Motorized Use opened December 15 on Seward Ranger District. Mile 12 Divide ski area has 1 of snow on top of frozen rutted ice making for difficult skiing on the downhills, a couple more inches of snow will greatly improve conditions. Two miles of spruce forest make way into cottonwood and alder before Saddlebag Lake. Anchorage, Alaska99501 Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park, 26 Glacier Cruise/Phillips Cruises And Tours, LLC. Water systems are being tested and there will be no water service at the campgrounds for Memorial Day weekend. Upper Russian Lake T.H. Theres plenty of snow hanging on up high.dont linger where an avalanche could plow you over! The icy conditions should reappear soon with our above freezing temps. . Locals and visitors alike marvel at seeing massive brown bears, large herds of, We might be biased, but theres no better place to hike than Alaska. The road into the trailhead is all ice. One of America's largest national forests, the Chugach National Forest offers many iconic points of interest, ranging from Portage Valley (home to Portage Glacier) and Spencer Glacier (which is only accessible by train) to fish-viewing platforms where you can watch spawning salmon return. This new outhouse willkeep thebeautiful landscape toilet paper and poop free! to get beyond a washed-out bridge.) Have a Great Weekend in the Sunshine, or rain, or snow! This summer Crescent Creek Trail and Juneau Lake to Swan Lake will be brushed, not sure what else as we have zero $$$ allocated to brushing, though if we do other brushing I'll send a trail update. All trails on Seward Ranger District are snow free except for Lost Lake/Primrose. There isnt much winter motorized open in the Summit Lake area. Tern Lake ice measured 3.5 this morning, thats a loss of in the past 24 hours. The three communities also support a mosquito fleet of guides and marine taxis offering sightseeing, deep-sea fishing, camping drop-offs and sea kayaking support. Resurrection Trail south via Bean Creek trail to Swan Lake has had snowmachine traffic and is packed but the trail is soft. Carter Lake has 2 of ice and 2 of snow near mile 2. Bring Home a Story! Lower Russian Lake Trail, as well as Slaughter/Bean Creek access to Resurrection Pass Trail South is fabulous for skiing. Its quite unusual for Lost Lake to be snow free the end of October. LockA locked padlock Glaciation and ice are currently buried under several inches of heavy wet snow on the trails. Chugach is one of the few places left in the world where glaciers spill out of the mountains and into the sea. Here's aof a few areas that are still slogging in winter. This campground has limited services even in the summer season - there is no water at the campground. Russian River Campground entrance gate remains locked as the first mile is 2-3 of packed ice to just beyond the trailhead parking lot. Continue to check the Seward Nordic and Cooper Landing Nordic Ski Club web sites for conditions on grooming. Car, train, or group tour. Here is a brief description of the Seward Ranger District portion. Ice has not formed many on lakes and creeksand travel across water is dangerous. Our Avalanche Specialist Alex McLain will be teaching a free Avalanche Awareness class December 12 beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Seward Public Library conference room. Not sure how long it will take to freeze the water but I would not recommend travel on Crescent Lake. #discoverearth #travelphoto #getoutdoors #outdoorphotography #recreation #wilderness #instapic #alaska #chugachnationalforest #forestservice #forest #forests, Touch the Earth.love your homecherish her. About 10 of snow through Resurrection Pass, skiable to about 2 miles past Fox Creek. Trails melt out a little at a time so you wont have much distance to travel before reaching mud and more ice, please keep your bikes off recently melted trails. Theres still hope I keep telling my co-worker Fitz, we still have more than 2 months of what can turn into a winter with more snow. Your trail crew thanks you. Ice, ice, and more ice allows us to continue with the same old story of our flipping conditions that started flopping again this past Sunday night at most Seward Ranger District accesses to winter recreation areas (except Mile 12 at Divide and Summit Lake). Johnson Creek trail to Johnson Pass trail north trailhead is constructed and will be part of the connection for the INHT. Most of the land on the Seward Ranger District is publicland, managed by the Chugach National Forest, and isopen to trapping fur-bearers. There is a new adult moose kill on Resurrection Pass Trail South at the 4.6 mile bridge just above Juneau Falls. Snow depth at Clemens Cabin on Lost Lake winter route is a shocking 31. Did you see the creative new trashcan artwork? Even the summer trail that bypasses the ice chute has several icy sections. Im so pleased to once again be wishing you a Very Warm, and Sunny Weekend coming up! YES!!! 10 of ice on Upper Trail Lake today 200 north of the Ball Diamond. Anticipate fewer updates unless conditions warrant mention. January 16, 2013 - Seward Trails and Trapping. Ice skating on some local lakes is back, though, getting to the good ice may prove to be a challenge due to the moats that formed during the 3 weeks of warm weather. It is easy to negotiate the snow on the trail and across the bridge to the cabin. Contact Alex McLain at 288-7710 for additional information. Attendees are then offered the opportunity to try their hand at setting and opening various types of traps with the assistance of one or more ATA members who will be present to give tutoring assistance. I have copies of the dvd mentioned at the end of this writing if you would like to borrow it, though as mentioned below, its a whole different ballgame when you are in the woods and your dog gets caught in a trap. You wont have to pay parking fees to park at the Lower Russian Lakes trailhead until June 10. Take care and monitor/measure condition to allow yourself and those amongst you in your party to travel aware and cautious with returning safely home! After considering ice travel precautions here are a few lakes on Seward Ranger District that currently have fabulous ice for skating: Grant Lake, Crescent Lake, Cooper Lake, and Bear Lake. Other animals might lash out or strain against the trap and their rescuers throughout the process. Most of our trails at lower elevations will require travel with the aid of ice cleats on your shoes. The lower section below Caribou cabin is hard pack with 1-2 inches of fresh snow on top. www.cnfaic.org avalanche conditions, 4 inches of snow reported at trailhead 11/2/2022. Many areas/trails/roads you may travel with your dogs are also used by trappers. The Iditarod from Bear Lake to Nash Rd. on official, secure websites. Meet our District Ranger Francisco Sanchez (see photo) on his first hike to Clemens Cabin. Across Seward Ranger District between Thursday and Friday we received 6-+12 inches additional snow at Lower Elevations, this is in addition to 3-5 feet from the week prior to last Thursday. Chugach National Forest | Flickr Handling traps and learning to disengage them is good training also. Enjoy the long night full moon this weekend! As youre probably already heard, Lost Lake trail is closed to motorized use due to lack of snow to prevent resource damage. Last year at this time Tern Lake was not frozen, it formed a layer of ice on November 6. Keep an eye out as always when traveling over frozen bodies of water, didnt appear to be much over flow, but that can change quickly. For detailed information on planning a trek please call me, or Mike Fitzpatrick at 907-288-7714. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chugach/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=6599&actid=50. Travel across higher elevations on Resurrection Pass will require skis or snowshoes. Clemens Cabin is low on propane, you can try one of the mostly MT bottles, hold it horizontally and shake the contents then hook it up. Today Exit Glacier Road has a few inches of slushy snow on an ice layer (no rock skis needed), skate skiing is possible but somewhat difficult due to various user ruts, classic skiing would be good. Muddy above Swan Lake Grade to Devils Pass cabin. Travel via Primrose Trail now sports the usual bumps. Resurrection South Trail, West Juneau Road, and Bean Creek Trail is open to motorized to Caribou Creek Cabin on the north. ) or https:// means you've safely Crown Pt/Vagt Lake loop has been cleared of fallen trees and is drying out nicely except for some glaciation in a few areas on the Crown Pt. Our dog, Bonney, was caught in a Conibear trap on Coyote Knob Sunday. Reservations of the Juneau Lake Cabin have been canceled through July 3rd. Even with the bridge out, much of the Cordova-area forest remains easily accessible by road or water taxi, featuring kayaking and rafting, campgrounds, hiking trails, salmon fishing and some of the most extraordinary birding on the planet. The terrain goes off-the-scale in its ruggedness and beautya dramatic geography dominated by mountains and hanging glaciers, fiords and U-shaped valleys, dense forests and salmon streams. Nothing to ski on. The Copper River Delta region offers excellent fishing, with the Alaganik Slough at Mile 17 of the Copper River Highway a good place to land coho salmon in August. http://avcams.faa.gov/ Portage Glacier site. The summer/winter loop on the Lost Lake Trail is packed, get it before the next snowfall, this loop isnt normally used in winter months due to the steeper side hills on the summer trail that are difficult to get by when snow is deeper. Weather reports with promise of several inches of snow keep a coming with not much to show. Haystack Trail is a great place to hike year round, just watch your footing on wet logs. 77 likes, 13 comments - Ian Hlavin (@hlavin.a.good.time) on Instagram: "After 7 seasons as a temporary employee of our public lands I have accepted my first permanent . The two avalanche paths right before the Barber Cabin junction have not come down. I enjoy ice and the physics and mechanics of ice; At work my partner and I have a lot of fun playing the guessing game of how tick the ice will be before we measure various bodies of water. The Forest operates 15 public use cabins across the Sound (heres a list, but check here for reservations.) Snow patches could persist in spots.. Johnson Pass - Muddy spots can be expected please walk bike around these sensitive areas. This summer the Glacier Ranger District trail crew is working to bring lower elevation segments of the Upper Winner Creek trail to meet trails standard in line with other backcountry segments of the INHT, including Johnson Pass, Crow Pass, Turnagain Pass, and segments outside of Seward and Moose Pass. Biking on Resurrection Pass Trail via Bean Creek Trail is good. We have snow, though not as much as wed like for opening Primrose or Lost Lake Trails to Motorized. Not much snow below 2,500 feet in elevation but snow that has fallen up high is accumulating and has created large avalanches in many locations, There were several large avalanches on Seward Ranger District this week. We thought there would be 3-4 of ice on Grant Lake as we prepared to skate the lakeshore heading towards the mine road to log out trees, not! Traveling grassy and brushy areas is very easy now due to most leaves off bushes and grasses dying down. Ptarmigan Campground - Open - very icy conditions, Quartz Creekcampground - one loop isOpen - icy conditions, Cooper Creek North -Open - icy conditions, 15 inches at Clemens Cabin on Lost Lake winter trail, Resurrection Creek Road beginning at mile 3.5, Slaughter Ridge last 400 to the winter parking at mile .5, Crescent Saddle (trail around lake) the creek on the Carter Lake side access to Crescent Saddle Cabin, not passable during high flows, Lost Lake the usually dry streambed 75 feet from parking lot and mile 1. (TRCG); and Russian River C.G. The rains have made the north 9 miles quite a muddy mess. Driving to the trailhead in Hope is currently fine, winter parking to the south is best kept to the circular winter parking area on Slaughter Ridge Road, description and map is in last weeks email. Soggy Bottom Bike Race Saturday August 7, 2021. For information on groomed trails check the following webpages: http://grooming.cooperlandingnordicskiclub.org, http://www.sewardnordicskiclub.org/page5/index.html. We ask that cabin users try to run propane bottles until they are empty rather than switch to a full bottle, especially when temperatures are this warm. We dont have a magic formula of how many inches of new snow we need to open. Well, it is warmer outside, but boy did we get wet today in the rain and wet snow. Just wanted to give you an update on trail status from snug harbor. Over the past week temperatures have stayed below freezing. Chugach National Forest - Home - US Forest Service 4/24 Pipeline Lakes Trail - Only one patch of snow remains on the boardwalk! Lower Russian Lake: 8 on Tuesday, anticipate it to now be around 10.5. Russian River C.G. The Chugach National Forest visitor map may be purchased for $14.00 (by mail check or cash only - In person credit card sales available at Chugach National Forest Offices). Have a Safe and Wonderful Summer on your outings enjoying the Chugach National Forest! Summit Lake: 8 beneath 2 of snow, the ice is smooth and easy to skate through the snow. The past 8 days of above freezing round the clock temps and rains in many locations on Seward Ranger District have made for havoc on lakes with standing water and overflow. 9/10 of our wildland fires are human caused camping fires, either left unattended or never extinguished. Chugach National Forest - Passes & Permits Passes & Permits Do you need a Permit? Two feet of snow is on the ground at Carter Lake provides for some good skiing. Gary Williams Moraine Trail - clear. The trail crew hopes to connect with Haystack trail for a finished loop, later this month. I sure hope to have a more wintery update soon!! Here is a report from our neighbors on the Glacier Ranger District: Portage Valley Recreation Update December 22, 2015: Early winter conditions, with up to 12 of snow in places, bare ground under tree cover. Devils Creek trail is mostly dry to mile 6, three days ago we needed the aid of snowshoes from mile 7-10, down trees have been cleared. Ranger District offices for the Chugach National Forest are located in Cordova, Girdwood, and Seward, and the Chugach National Forest Headquarters is located in Anchorage. Fox Farm Trail: Impressive log bridges pave the entrance to a brand new boardwalk traversing through cloudberry rich muskag. Please keep in mind that ice thickness may vary drastically on each body of water depending on past and present weather, location, inlets, outlets and springs, etc. Skate skiing is good at Trail River C.G. Today at Carter Lake conditions are icy for 1st mile, spikes on shoes needed (standard equipment for most areas below 1,000 feet in elevation). Copious amounts of moisture have saturated the ground leading to very mucky conditions in organic soils and large puddles in non-organic soils where water does not drain due to lack of fill. Note: Resurrection North by sno-go is for the experienced rider to the top of the southern grade at East Creek; from here it turns into easy riding to Devils Pass Cabin, Devils Pass cabin to Swan Lake Cabin is advanced riding. When biking please get off and walk around saturated and muddy trail tread, when mud is more consistent please turn around. Its time to add snowshoes to your equipment if you will be traveling over passes on Seward Ranger District Trails, though snow is only 12 or so, its time to be prepared for conditions requiring snowshoes and skis (once a good base is packed). We appreciate your patience during this project. And remember if it stays well above freezing during the day, take tire chains if youre driving Snug Harbor Road, and ice cleats for all areas below 800 in elevation. Though you can travel right now on all our trails w/o skis or snowshoes, its time to have these items with if youre traveling overnight. And thanks to Chris Cravens for this report on Snug Harbor access to Lost Lake: Hello! You start hitting solid snow at mile 5. The below freezing temperatures beginning Friday night brought ice skating back to many Seward Ranger District lakes over the weekend. Byron Glacier Trailis clear until end of official trail. You might want to consider taking a saw with you if youre traveling by horse or bike as there will be trees across trails in various locations. Cooper, Crescent, and Grant Lakes have frozen over, though not by much, we couldnt travel more than 20-50 from shore due to thinner ice towards deeper lake depths. We do have a frozen base in most locations and that is a good sign, now a bit more snow is needed. Though these are not as detailed as our ROG sheets, the basic information is there. Reports of post hole snow conditions up to waist deep; as well as difficulty following the designated trail. Trail River Campground has been rolled and skate skiing is fabulous and fast, anticipate it to get hard and faster when temperatures hit 32 degrees or less. carefully when entering inundation zones. Parking is limited at the bottom of the hill mile from start of the Bean Creek trail. February 6,, 2014-Glacier Ranger District-Trails, Glacier Ranger District, Portage Valley Recreation Update February 5, 2014. Chugach National Forest. Thislist only includes maintained trails. Free personal GPSdriven travel guide to Alaska. Using the backcountry involves risk anytime of the year. You will be prompted to install the free app prior to downloading the map. Alison Rein from Glacier Ranger District has a more promising report, at least for those of you who like to ski: The valley is back to more normal winter conditions with wonderful on-trail skiing. But dont be fooled by the lack of ice, take your ice creepers with you. I went up Res South looking for a caribou before the 31st. We made this bridge narrower salvaging lumber from the bridge that was damaged during a flood, thus the narrower span here. Fat Tire biking on packed trails is good. Crews will continue to log out the trailsin the coming weeks. Its geographic diversity is unique among national forests. Good Month of March to you today! Johnson Pass Trail: South end snow free for first 3 miles, then snow shoes needed as the trail leaves the lakeshore and heads north. Johnson Pass Trail South is snow free and mostly dry for the first 6 miles. Download the Recreational Opportunities forTrails PDFflyer. Tern Lake has gone backwards in ice thickness. The entrance gate at Russian River Campground remains closed due to mile of icy packed road before and after the Trailhead parking lot. Visitors in kayaks, cruise ships, small boats, ferries, and float planes explore Prince William Sound's 3,500 miles of coastline. Around the clock above freezing temperatures this past week have melted several inches of snow in many locations so we are closing the following areas/trails to Winter Motorized this weekend:Lost Lake and Primrose Trails and Snow River access to Nellie Juan. *************************************************************************************. This trail is mostly snow free and dry to Lower Russian Lake. is icy and grippers should be worn. Walking without snowshoes is good due to the rapid melting and condensing of the snowpack. All of us screamed. Note that this loop is open to ski traffic only during winter grooming. Ice thickness on Upper Russian Lake on 12/30/2013 was 11, and Cooper Lake had 12 of ice. Grant Lake mine road has been clear of fallen trees. In late summer, bears may be seen feeding on spawned-out salmon along streams and rivers. Gull Rock and Hope Point trailsare mostly ice/snow free. Carter Lake Trail is in good condition, though bumpy for the first mile. Russian River C.G. It is a slow melt with frost still 2-4 thick in the ground in many locations on Seward Ranger District. Chugach National Forest - Home This has been an easy year for lack of downed trees impeding travel, replaced by deep snow instead in most locations. Ice skating is the name of the game until the next snowfall, please keep in mind ice thickness may vary drastically on each body of water depending on past and present weather, location, inlets, outlets and springs, etc There are many factors in determining where, how, when, and if you should travel on ice. If you are interested contact Alex McLain with the USFS, Seward Ranger District for more information at (907) 288-7710 or by email at amclain@fs.fed.us. Also keep in mind with the shallow snowpack alders will be your enemy with the next wet snowfall as it will cling to the branches bringing them down and obscuring any path you take through them, right now its not too bad because there isnt any snow on their branches. There is skiing to be had on SRD, check the Seward Nordic Ski Club link, better yet, go to the site, become a member and updates on latest conditions will be automatically sent to your email. There is an overabundance of overflow in many locations on frozen ponds and lakes. Sunday is the 3rd Annual Seward Nordic Ski Club Luminary Ski/Walk/Snowshoe, 6-9 P.M.at Mile 12 Divide, please open the attachment above for more information. Lost Lake Elevation 1,800 feet has 5 of snow. The new trail jct. Tern Lake and Upper Trail Lake surfaces are smooth but with a bumpy surface that could be skated if you really wanted to. Slaughter Ridge Rd. Both roads are currently packed and drivable. Tomorrow, January 24, 2014 Primrose Trail will be closed to winter motorized use, Lost Lake Trail remains closed due to lack of snow to prevent resource damage, and, Turnagain Pass Motorized side on the Glacier Ranger District is closing to winter motorized use today. There is snow about 2 miles in from the Girdwood side. There are patches of avalanche debris that are covering the trail to the final rock outcrop. West Juneau road is 100 feet west of the trailhead so you wont need to shuttle your rig. Though, as always anywhere you venture in the out of doors (sometimes even just outside your door) keep a keen ear and stay in tune and alert for wildlife encounters in your surroundings. The trail crew is waiting for Johnson Pass trail to dry a bit more before biking over the top. Heading the other direction there were recently a number of tracks leading up the Upper Winner Creek Trail, but eventually the bent over alders will slow you down this time of year.